We wanted to create something different. And we did.

Sextant Marketing was founded by a small group of higher education marketing experts who believed in the power of higher education and understood that old models for student recruitment and retention were unsustainable. The world of higher education was changing, and higher ed marketing needed to change too.

Together we built a team of full-funnel student enrollment experts with deep experience delivering coordinated new student recruitment, retention, and yield campaigns across all program and student types. Sextant Marketing is a nimble partner with a comprehensive approach made possible through our forward-thinking model and 19+ years in higher education program management working with some of the nation’s leading institutions.

We employ proven recruiting best-practices and work to continually identify, test, and vet the latest tactics and technology to improve engagement and enrollments. Our partnerships with clients have led to doubling first-time freshman enrollments, increased online enrollments, engaging video campaigns, and so much more for institutions that are ready to get ahead of the curve.

We don’t follow tradition.

We lead the way.

We learned long ago that you won’t fall off the edge of the world just because you can’t see what’s over the horizon. But it helps to have a nimble, future-focused partner that can guide you through the next iteration of higher ed marketing, recruitment, and enrollment.

We don’t follow tradition.

We lead the way.

We learned long ago that you won’t fall off the edge of the world just because you can’t see what’s over the horizon. But, it helps to have a nimble, future-focused partner that can guide you through the next iteration of higher ed marketing, recruitment and enrollment.

What is a Sextant Anyway?

A sextant is a marine navigational tool used to measure the angular distance between a point on the horizon and a celestial body. It is used to determine a navigator’s position and in the 18th through early 20th centuries, helped ships find their way on long voyages.

The historical instrument has since been replaced by more advanced technology, but the principal remains the same. If you know where you are, where you want to go, and what True North is, you can find your way.

Find Your True North

True North is the direction along Earth’s surface toward geographic north, according to the Earth’s axis. In the world of higher education, True North is your essential truth. Your institution’s internal guiding compass. Your purpose.

Through commitment to your True North, a strategic plan, and a flexible partnership with a guide that understands you and your students’ journey, you will achieve success.

Let’s Chart a Course Together

Meet the Crew

Meet our crew of dedicated higher education marketing and enrollment experts. We are a group with diverse skills and experience who believe in the power of education and understand the student journey. Find out who we are.

Welcome to Our Home Port

Rich with History & Inspiration (and Amazing Coffee)

Sextant Marketing is centrally located in the heart of Tampa’s historic Latin District. Florida’s only National Historic Landmark District on the West Coast offers a unique blend of walkability, amenities, community support, and of course the BEST café con leche, making it the perfect “home port” for Sextant. This is where we come together to brainstorm, to create, to work as a tight-knight crew prepared to help students and universities chart a course to success.

And don’t be surprised to hear the horn and rumbling sound of a train or the crow of a rooster during a meeting.

Historic District

Ybor City was founded in 1885 by Vicente Martinez-Ybor. Vicente was a Cuban cigar maker who brought the craft of cigar making and a group of Cuban and Spanish immigrants to the neighborhood of Tampa that would eventually bear his name.

The Sextant office itself is located where once stood a restaurant that offered a warm welcome, free rations, and maybe even kitchen knives to Cuban exiles plotting for independence.

Bustling Port

Steps away from Florida’s largest port (by size and tonnage), Ybor is filled with tourists arriving and departing on cruise ships hailing from around the world. Our 5,000+ acre sea port boasts a cargo list that is one of the most diverse in the nation.

Hand-Rolled Cigars

When Vicente relocated his burned cigar factory from Key West to Tampa, he brought along a group of Cuban and Spanish immigrants. They were later joined by Sicilian-Italian immigrants, many of whom learned the art of hand rolling cigars.

What makes Ybor the right place for our business?

Maybe it’s the supportive, growing community of businesses moving into the neighborhood. Or, it’s the walkability that gives us all a chance to get outside and be inspired. Perhaps it’s the local shop where we meet for Cuban coffee to chat about our goals for the week. The open floor plans, creative spaces, and balconies bring us together to collaborate.

With new boutique hotels, eclectic restaurants, and a central location Ybor City is the perfect place to be for visiting clients. And… did I mention the coffee?

Clucky Neighbors

Legally protected by Tampa’s Bird Sanctuary Law, Ybor’s own flock of roosters and hens are descendents of the chickens brought to Tampa by Vincente himself. We like our quirky chicken residents, including the one who seems to call our office parking lot “home.”

The BEST Café con Leche

The merging of Italian, Spanish and Cuban cultures brings a unique cuisine to Ybor City – even in its coffee. Masterfully crafted, roasted beans make for a steaming cup of espresso that is bold, bitter, and sweet. And we can’t get enough of it.

Let us treat you
to a cup of this coffee
we keep talking about.

Let’s Talk

Now let's get you there